Switching to energy-efficient bulbs means savings for users

WOOSTER -- There's a shift occurring in the way people light their homes, and local hardware store employees are changing the way they sell light bulbs to accommodate increased options.

The incandescent light bulb, in 60, 75 or 100 watts, has been the standard go-to for use in light fixtures for years. Now, the market is full of options for more efficient lighting, and starting in 2012, the federal government will begin phasing in an efficiency standard that could rule out the traditional incandescent bulb.

Some are embracing the change, while others are clinging to the bulbs they've known their entire lives.

"People don't like it ... people don't like change, they don't like to be told what they can and cannot do," Shreve Hardware owner Rich Edington said.

Lorrie Tignor, who owns Tignor's Hometown Hardware in Wooster with her husband, Mike, agrees people aren't that excited about the change.

Edington insists a dislike for change is the main issue people are having with the arrival of compact fluorescent and LED light bulbs onto the market.

Despite the complaints, he does see customers switching to the newer technology, as he has done in his own home and business.

"It's a huge savings," Edington said. "You'd be surprised at how much energy you save."

Ron Sands, a sales associate in the electrical department in Lowe's in Wooster felt the opposite.

"I've seen most people switching, they feel it's their duty," Sands said. "I'm surprised, personally I'd be stocking up (on incandescent bulbs)."

Sands says overall, he sees customers trying to convert. He's there to answer questions as well as recommend CFLs to see what customers think.

"I think people are surprised at the number of bulbs we do have," Sands said, adding for years people had only incandescent bulbs in a couple of varieties.

"Now there's lots of choices."

To entice customers to cross over to the more efficient side, Lowe's occasionally runs sales or incentives, offering a six-pack of CFLs for $6.

Hometown Hardware accepts coupons provided to customers by American Electric Power for $1.25 off of one CFL, and $3 off of a pack of two or more.

The coupons are a way to sway AEP customers to make the switch from incandescent to CFL bulbs so the electric company can reduce its energy grid. The coupons are available for AEP customers or people living in a ZIP code it serves.

However, some people, like Sands, are more interested in stocking up on incandescent bulbs.

"People are worried they're going to be taken away," Edington said.

"If you try something new and it doesn't work to your satisfaction, you're disappointed," Sands said.

Disappointment can come when people pay more up front for the bulbs, but then they don't last as long as expected. According to Sands, some people report CFLs lasting for years, some say they last merely months.

"You hear different situations," Sands said.

Those who are disappointed in the newer technology might eventually be inclined to buy up as many incandescent bulbs as they can.

"I think as time gets closer, it might become a different issue. Overall I'm surprised, most people are trying to go with them (now)," said Sands.

Edington already has one repeat customer who has been buying incandescent bulbs in larger quantities lately, in fear they'll soon be taken away. Edington isn't worried.

"There's still going to be incandescent bulbs, but their going to be modified," he said. "This stuff happens gradually, and when it happens gradually, people accept it."

According to Tignor, some customers are upgrading even further to LED light bulbs, which can last up to 15 years.

LED bulbs are pricier, costing about $16.99 per bulb, compared to $3.75 per CFL bulb and 50 cents per incandescent bulb. LED bulbs can last 25,000 hours, compared to 8,000 hours for a CFL bulb and 1,000 hours for an incandescent bulb, according to Tignor.

Although, they're not popular yet, Tignor said "the technology on LED bulbs will get better and better."

Hometown Hardware features a light display to show the hues of various bulbs to help educate customers. She said the choices often lead to the employees having a conversation with almost every customer.

"You have to get a feel for what they're going to use it for," Tignor said.

Some of the challenges that face the new technology include their difference in hue and the amount of time it takes for them to turn on.

According to Tignor, people in older generations tend not to like the newer bulbs as much because they seem too dim and they take about three seconds to come on.

"That bothers some people," Tignor said.

Also, CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury, which causes some consumers to worry about the safety of them if they break, as well as how to properly dispose of the bulbs. Tignor said they would love a disposal site at their store, but it is too costly.

"That's a big negative," she said.

Overall, store employees agree the energy cost savings can be huge, despite the negative factors involved with switching to more efficient lighting.

Tignor said they even have a computer program that takes into account hours of electricity used, the number of light fixtures and the bulb wattage to determine the actual amount of money a consumer can save by switching.

"This is not just hype," Tignor said.

Reporter Amanda Rolik can be reached at 330-287-1635 or e-mail arolik@the-daily-record.com.

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